Stewards are the glue that holds the Union together. They are the front line in challenging management, enforcing the contract, and upholding our rights. Most important of all, stewards are the people who will organize the local. All the good intentions in the world are useless without enough stewards to carry them out.

All Local 1942 stewards comprise the steward body. Local 1942 By-Laws define the structure of the steward body and give it certain decision-making powers with regard to steward training, approval of new stewards, and organizing activity in the local.

The entire local is divided up into separate areas of coverage by stewards. It is imperative in a local of our size that it be very clear to the hospital who is responsible to cover what areas and that in fact the contract mandates that the local set up steward jurisdictional areas.

Your steward, of course, is the person to talk to when you have a problem on the job or a question about your working conditions. Neither you nor the steward knows if your problem is covered by the contract until you sit down and discuss it with him or her.

If your rights are being violated or you're just tired of finding out too late that your supervisors didn't follow the contract, maybe you ought to consider becoming a steward and stand up for yourself and your co-workers. There is an amazing difference in the way people are treated in areas with active stewards.